To the Dark Side and Back Again
by Rowan Cookie
Summary: Ben doesn't die but he is serverely injured so Rey decides to take him to the Resistance. The Rise of Skywalker fix-it.


Rey blinked a few times as she came too. Her body hurt all over, but she was alive…

She was alive.

How had that happened? She had been so sure that her last stand was going to kill her.

Suddenly there was a loud thud next to her. She shot up and looked around for the source of the noise. Her eyes quickly landed upon Ben Solo's lifeless body lying on the ground next to her. "Ben!" She cried. He couldn't be…Not after he's just turned to the light.

She reached out and grabbed Ben's wrist. She franticly sort out a pulse, just hoping, despite the fact she expected there to be nothing. "Come on," she muttered desperately. She shifted her fingers and let out a small gasp. It was faint but there was definitely a pulse there.

Rey scrambled to her feet, ignoring her protesting muscles, grabbed Ben under the arms and, using all of her strength, pulled him up. He was heavy but she daren't use the force to carry him as she felt too weak.

It took all the energy she had to pull Ben to Luke's X-wing. It was only once she got there that she remembered that it only had one seat.

Rey sighed and closed her eyes; she could feel a headache coming on.

She took a deep breath then clambered into her ship. She dragged Ben up after her so that he was lying across her lap,

"Sorry," she said as she accidently hit Ben's head on the ship's console.

She shifted Ben so that she had better access to the controls then input the coordinates for D'Qar.

-x-

Rey landed at the Resistance base and instantly went to find her friends. She thought it probably wasn't a good idea to drag Ben through the middle of the Resistance.

All thoughts of Ben however were thrown from her mind when she saw her friends. She hugged them both tightly, assuring herself that they were both fine. They were alive. They were here with her.

Rey pulled away from Poe and Finn with a smile on her face. "I need to tell you something," she said to them,

"What?" Finn asked nervously,

"It's probably easier to show you,"

Rey took hold of Poe and Finn's hands an pulled them away from the crowd of celebrating rebels.

She led them through the trees and to a clearing where Luke's X-wing stood,

"Is that…?" Finn cried upon seeing Ben's limp form in the ship,

"It is,"

Poe opened his mouth as if to argue but he paused when Rey shook her head,

"Later," she sighed, "he needs medical attention right now."

Rey hurried over to the ship, pausing when she reached the bottom, "can one of you help me get him out?" she asked over her shoulder.

Finn reluctantly followed but he couldn't keep the look of disgust off his face. He went to take hold of Ben's legs, but he paused when he saw the unnatural position one of his legs was in,

"You'll just have to be careful," Rey said when she saw the look on Finn's face.

The two of them gingerly picked Ben up and slowly lifted him out of the ship,

"It's probably easier to bring a medic to him," Poe said, trying to take control of the situation,

"Definitely," Rey agreed as she and Finn lowered Ben to the ground, "I landed out here because I didn't think it was a good idea to drag him through the middle of the Resistance,"

Poe nodded, "Right, I'll go find a medic,"

"Hang on!" Finn cried, "Are we just going to pretend that he didn't do anything? Like he isn't responsible for the death of thousands, if not millions of people!"

"No, definitely not," Poe said,

"Then why are we helping him?"

"He saved my life," Rey said, "Twice, actually. This really is the least I can do,"

Finn scowled,

"We will have this chat but after we're sure he'd not going to die," Poe said authoritatively,

"Fine," Finn agreed.

-x-

Ben could feel the presence of one other people as he came to. He reached out with the Force to try and establish more but he found that he couldn't.

That was alarming.

His access to the Force felt weak in a way it hadn't since he was child, in fact his whole body felt weak and sluggish.

It was only then that what had happened came flooding back to him. He should be dead on a rock in Exogol. He was meant to have died saving Rey!

He heard three more people approach him, arguing loudly. It didn't take long for him to figure out they were arguing about him.

He opened his eyes to see Rey, the Pilot General and the Traitor enter what appeared to be a medical tent.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," the Traitor said.

Rey sighed, "I know Finn but please just trust me on this, Poe thinks it's a good idea,"

"A good idea is pushing it," the Pilot – Poe – replied.

The group walked past Ben's bed, obviously not aware of the fact that he was now awake.

It was at that moment that Ben sneezed loudly causing everyone to turn and look at him, "Where am I?" he asked sheepishly.

Somebody he didn't recognise hurried over to him and started fiddling with the medical equipment around him. "Keep still," the medic hissed as Ben moved to try and sit up, "You have a punctured lung, bruised ribs, a dislocated knee, a broken leg and a concussion! Not to mention all the cuts and bruises," she fussed.

"You're at our base," Poe replied eventually,

"I take it you're responsible for that," Ben said, turning to Rey.

Rey nodded slightly,

"You should have left me to become a hermit on Exogol," Ben remarked,

"I think you'd be dead if I'd left you," Rey said,

Ben shrugged slightly, "I think most people would have preferred that,"

Poe and Finn looked at each other then Poe stepped forward, "Rey says you've turned to the light," he said somewhat sceptically,

"And that you saved her life," Finn weighed in,

Ben nodded, "I refuse to be the Sith's slave anymore,"

Poe nodded firmly as if he had just decided upon something then and there, "Ok, you are going to tell us everything you know about the First Order, whether you think it's relevant or not, and help us win this war,"

"Have you not already won?" Ben asked,

Poe shook his head, "The First Order took a big hit on Exogol but they still have strong holds in various places across the galaxy,"

"But you have the Supreme Leader at your mercy," Ben pointed out,

Poe smiled slightly, "Peace has failed before," he said, "We've got to try and make sure that doesn't happen this time,"

"I will help in any way I can," Ben said,

"Good," Poe said before turning to Rey, "Your turn."

"Ok, as a condition of you staying here, once you are able to leave the medical tent, you are going to complete Jedi training,"

"With you as my teacher," Ben said, it wasn't really a question,

Rey nodded,

"You know I've probably completed more of Jedi training than you have?" Ben asked,

"I've completed my training," Rey said indignantly,

"I imagine yours was somewhat condensed, mine was stretched out across several years, even if I did only complete half of it,"

Rey glared at Ben who just smiled at her,

"I accept," he said.

Rey smiled then took a step forward. She pulled an unfamiliar lightsaber out of her jacket and looked at it for a second before holding it out to Ben, "Here," she said, "you should have this,"

Ben took hold of it and turned it over in his hand, it was weighted nicely, and it felt almost as if it belonged in his hand. He swung it around a lit up the blade,

"It was Leia's," Rey explained sadly.

Ben turned off the lightsaber and gently lowered it into his lap, "My mother had a lightsaber?" He asked quietly,

Rey nodded and sat down on the edge of Ben's bed, "Yeah, Luke showed me where it was. I think she'd want you to have it,"

Ben stared down at the lightsaber with wide eyes for a moment before looking up at Rey and smiling,

"Thank you," he said.

The medic came back over and started to take some readings off Ben, "It's time to go Generals," she said, "he needs to rest, you can come back later once he's slept,"

Poe looked like he was about to argue but the medic glared at him.

Ben was suddenly very aware of how tired he felt, "I'll see you in a few hours," he murmured as his eyes started to droop. He felt Rey get off his bed and walk back to the other two,

"Sleep well," she said.

The three rebels started talking to each other, but Ben didn't have the energy to eavesdrop, instead he let the conversation lull him to sleep.


End file.
